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Our relationship to the space programmme has two main
aspects: space reconnaissance and space exploitation.
In both directions, there are obvious steps to be undertaken. The exploration of space to improve our knowledge is
well underway with space missions, including visits to planets, moons
and comets as well as with space-based observatories, and larger, more
powerful ground-based telescopes. Our vision of the Solar System is being confirmed and our
understanding of physical processes in the Galaxy and further out in
the Universe is constantly being broadened. Through all this
information, our quest for the origins of humanity is progressing with
unparalleled speed. The next natural step would be to use advanced technology to
establish even more advanced observatories in space or possibly on
other, more appropriate planetary objects (like the hidden side of the
Moon or Mars), in order to optimise and further develop our incessant
exploration of the Universe. For instance, minerals could be extracted from asteroids, and solar
energy could be channelled to the Earth by electric power stations in
space. In the next move, true space colonisation might begin, taking
advantage of the large land areas that exist outside the Earth,
e.g. to alleviate the current overpopulation problem on our own
planet. All these ideas have been the subject of scientific fiction books
and films. While some of them seem pretty far-fetched, others are much
closer to reality and provide good impressions of what may be in store for us in the medium- and long-term.
Details about the recent developments of the ISS mission may be found at several websites, including those maintained by ESA and NASA. You may also see the current location and learn when you may be able to observe the International Space Station with your own eyes.
Life in the Universe |
Last updated October 31, 2001
The Expansion of the Human Race into Space